
Elevate Construction Ep.33 - The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way
This episode dives into the heart of change in construction, using the classic tale Who Moved My Cheese? as a Launchpad to explore how our industry's "cheese" has been moved and why the Toyota Way offers a roadmap for finding it again. Jason breaks down the 14 Principles of the Toyota Way and shows how each one can transform field leadership, team culture, stability, and flow on construction projects. If you've ever wondered what lean really means beyond the Last Planner System, or how these ideas apply to messy, real-world job sites, this conversation brings clarity and practical direction. Get ready to rethink how you build, lead, and improve.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- Why lean isn't a trend or a tool, it's a mindset built on stability, respect, and continuous improvement.
- How the 14 Toyota Principles translate directly to construction environments and daily field operations.
- Why flow reveals problems, batching hides them, and how tact planning helps teams see issues early.
- How to use visual controls, standardization, and quality-at-the-source to elevate predictable project outcomes.
- Why leaders must teach, model, and build people not just manage tasks if they want lasting change.
If the industry has moved your cheese, what's stopping you from going to find where it is now.
If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).
Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:
· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg
· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt
· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured
· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw
